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Thursday, 30 August 2012

Recently I had the pleasure of hearing Matt’s rendition of Starships by Nicki Minaj, sung in various keys and ways, over lunch. I don’t know why he was singing it (it’s best not to question these things), he just was. The thing is, after not too long, I was also singing it, in my head, which I continued to do for many, many hours afterward. I listened to all sorts of things to try and stop it, a strange mix of music including Amanda Palmer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Muse, Kanye West, Patsy Cline, Daft Punk, Jack White, Stevie Wonder, I even tried a Rihanna song(!) but to no avail. I was still singing ol’ Nicki hours later. Damn you Matt! Damn you Minaj! It got me thinking about how some songs just get stuck, no matter what you do, they just need to play their natural course in your brain until suddenly you realise you’re not singing it anymore, then you remember it again and the whole nasty cycle starts again. They call it an earworm. I don’t care what it’s called; it’s simultaneously great and incredibly infuriating. I’ve decided the best way of getting rid of the earworm that Minaj has become is like getting rid of a cold, you give it to someone else. Either that or you get another song stuck in your head. I’m happy with either option at the moment, just get out Nicki! Get out! “Starships were meant to fly—yyyy-yyyy-yyyy……”
Aaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini (196)

by Bryan Hyland

There’s something really, really creepy about this song. A girl, wearing a bikini, too afraid to go to the beach in the first place because of her swimsuit (or rather lack of it), then once she gets to the beach she hides under a towel because of her swimsuit (or rather, lack of it), then when she finally goes swimming, she’s afraid to come out of the water because of her swimsuit (or rather, lack of it). Why is she afraid? Because there’s some creepy old guy staring at her the whole time! Some creepy old guy staring at her and saying in a creepy voice “it was an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini”. Who says that? Only a CREEPY OLD GUY would say that!!!! Some creepy old guy, his whole band and some weird girl saying at regular intervals; “Two, three, four, tell the people, what she wore”. No wonder she was terrified! You know what the worst part about this song is though? That creepy old guy’s voice, stuck in your head, for hours on end saying that horrible collection of words “she wore a itsy, bitsy……” Uuuuuuurgh. Stuck AND creepy. Worst combination, ever.

Stayin' Alive (1977)

by The Bee Gees

See, disco is a problem. It’s a problem because so much of it is so damn catchy. It’s like a horrible virus, it just hangs around, innocently, you barely notice it’s there then suddenly, its days later and without warning you don’t feel so well because you’ve been singing “burn baby burn” for an eternity and can’t even remember where you heard it. That’s disco. You know who were the ultimate with the disco earworm? The Bee Gees. They were the creators of numerous earworms, but I decided this one was a total epidemic of disco virus. Once you hear that falsetto of Barry you’re in for a treat. One of two things is going to happen. It’ll be “stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive” or it will be “ah, ha, ha, ha”. It’s going to go around and around and around in your pretty little head for what seems like for-ev-er. Whichever happens, just make sure when you get to the “stayin ali-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-vvvve” bit, you commit to that note. That’s the pinnacle of disco fever, right there.

Don't Worry, Be Happy (1988)

by Bobby McFerrin

I’m not worried, I’m not happy. I’m just incredibly annoyed, ok? This song will do that to you. You think it’s kind of cute, maybe a little sweet, but this song will completely and totally send you crazy. There aren’t even any instruments in this song. This is all voice. Incredibly annoying, catchy, catchy voice. Stop it Bobby. Stop telling me what to do. Don’t tell me how to live my life. Just get out of my head. I told you. I’m not worried. Not happy. Just annoyed.

I'm Too Sexy (1991)

by Right Said Fred

The thing about this song is that most people are not too sexy for their car, their hat, their cat, New York, Milan or Japan, let alone their shirt. Even Right Said Fred weren’t too sexy for any of those things. That doesn’t seem to stop the refrain “I’m so sexy for this shirt, so sexy it hurts” getting stuck in one’s brain though. You know what’s not sexy? Getting this goddamn song stuck in your head for days and days and days and days and days and days on end. That’s not sexy at all. Aaaaaaaaaagggghhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Who Let The Dogs Out? (2000)

by Baha Men

Who did let the dogs out? I guess one will never know, because someone somewhere has probably done some physical harm to whoever wrote this song. I think there’s possibly a verse or two in between all the irritating “who, who, who, who”, but has anyone ever heard any of them? Everyone’s so busy waiting for the next opportunity to yell that noise at the top of their lungs no one cares about Gruffy or Scruffy or any flea infested mongrel (actual lyric!). I know kids loved this song, I suppose because they got the opportunity to bark like dogs for four minutes or so and not get in trouble for it, but adults? There is no excuse for any adult to be continuously saying “who who who who” for hours after hearing this song. Did you hear me? No excuse. You’re singing it now and you haven’t even pressed play, have you? Damn you earworms. Damn you eardogs. Damn you Baha Men.

…and for something different, the future vintage pick:

Starships (2012)

by Nicki Minaj

Go on, listen to it, I dare you. You know you want to. Just so you can prove to yourself that it won’t get stuck in YOUR head. Go on. Press play. Do it. It won’t hurt you. Or will it? Take a chance. Listen. You’ll love it. Everyone loves it. It’s Nicki Minaj, she can’t hurt you. Can she? Oh, there it is…..”Starships were meant to flyyyyyyy, hands up and touch the skyyyyyyyy…..”
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DAMN YOU MINAJ!

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

Pop tarts – it’s time to put on some pants! This pant-less trend has
gone way too far. Can’t we all just be content with the one day a week
already dedicated to being pant-less? (Wait, you don’t participate in
pants-off Friday? Awkward)

What started as a cool and edgy point of difference has turned into another annoying trend. Like overalls. And trucker caps.

Being pant-less is by no means a new fad. Cher and Madonna have been
rockin’ the look for years now. And even Ginger Spice has been known to
whip her pants off. On stage too. Badoom-tish.

Tuesday, 28 August 2012

Mia Dyson has much to celebrate. Her fourth LP 'The Moment' has been met with universal acclaim and rave reviews (especially from us), she's embarking on a big Australian tour and she's even cracked the ARIA charts this week! With so much happening for her right now, we were very excited to steal some of her time and chat about 'The Moment,' the tour and beyond. Enjoy!

MIA DYSON

Q. New albumThe Momenthas some fist-pumping, sing out loud anthemic
numbers like 'When The Moment Comes,' and beautiful bluesy ballads like
'Dancing' and closing number 'Two Roads.' So much of your own personal
experiences must go into your songwriting, but do you find it easier to write more upbeat songs or those that will become your quieter tracks?

Mia: I find it easier to write the ballads…somehow the melancholy comes more naturally to me!

Q. What's your favourite track fromThe Momentand why?

Mia: I
think the track I’m proudest of is ‘Jesse’. A woman approached me after
a show a few years back with this story. She was pregnant as a teenager
in the late 60s and was coerced by the social workers and her parents
into giving up her baby, even though she didn’t want to. And it turns
out there’s a lot of women who endured the same thing in that era. It
took me a long time to write this one, as I felt the gravity of the
heart ache that these mothers and children face.

Q. Your voice has seen you heralded as one of the finest blues singers to
emerge from Australia over the past decade. Which singers have
influenced your own style and who are your favourite vocalists in music
today?

Mia: Definitely Lucinda Williams and Bonnie Raitt, but also people like Gillian Welch and Neko Case, Tom Waits. Lucinda has to be my fave.

Q. You've got a huge list of Australian tour dates announced, including a spot at this year's Brisbane Festival in the Spiegeltent
on September 13. What do you love most about performing live and what
do you love about performing in front of your Australian fans?

Mia: I
love being in the moment in a song, just feeling truly alive. It’s
fabulous to be coming back to play for Australian fans – the people
who’ve stuck with me all this time.

Q. Enough about Australia, tell us about America! It must have been a huge
change going from Torquay to California. What will be the greatest
lessons you'll take away from the time you've spent recordingThe Momentin America? Have you been to many gigs/festivals while over there?

Mia: America
was an adventure – tumult and triumph. The greatest lesson was learning
to listen to my intuition. If I heed it, it never leads me astray. I
got to play at many American festivals and see much of the incredible
landscape. From Portland, Oregon to Nashville Tennesse and San Diego California to Portland, Maine.

Q. Once you've completed the Australian tour, what's next for Mia Dyson?More festivals, more touring, more writing, a trip back to the State and then the UK in 2013. 7. You're going on a road-trip! What albums do you have to take to make the trip awesome?

Mia:

Lucinda Williams – World Without Tears

Chris Whitley – Living With The Law

Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

The Band – Music from Big Pink

Tom Waits – Mule Variations

Q. What are your music guilty pleasures?

Mia: The Darkness.

Q. Finally, finish this sentence; I love music because...

Mia: ...it can take me out of my small mind and into possibility. Mia Dyson's incredible new album, The Moment, is out now! What are you waiting for? Go and get it!

Monday, 27 August 2012

Let’s do something different this week. Let’s look at this song in two ways and review it twice.

The first way? Let’s pretend we have absolutely no idea who Muse are
and this is just a random song from some random band from some random
place. Wow! A nice electronic beat, a solid bass line driving the song, a
simple but lovely lyric about the madness of attraction; “I tried so
hard to let you go, but some kind of madness is swallowing me whole” and
an incredibly catchy backing vocal that is easy to pick up and too easy
to continue humming long after the song is over. I need to know more
about this band, if they’re capable of this kind of magic, what else
have they got in store?

Jo Michelmore gives 'Madness' four Shirley Mansons's out of five...

Madness(Take 2!)

by Muse

The second way? Let’s talk
about Muse. They've built a very large fan base around a particular
sound, a particular way of song writing and rightly so. They’re a hugely
talented band that has an incredibly loyal following. However, beside
the familiar vocal of Matthew Bellamy, this song sounds so dissimilar to
anything they’ve done before it can be hard to imagine this is Muse.
The stripped back sound, the electronic beat, the 80’s sounding guitar
and layered vocals about half way through, this is a track that’s going
to divide their fans and that is something I really like. It encourages
conversations about music (which should always be encouraged!) as well
as showing maturity and confidence within the band. The ability as
artists to understand their strengths and weaknesses and to experiment
with them isn’t easy; it’s relatively rare in the commercial music
industry and is something that should be applauded. Regardless of their
history, as a song itself, Madness seems to have influences of so many;
80’s Prince, George Michael (before he got too annoying), Queen maybe
even early U2; how could it possibly be bad with those kinds of
influences? It couldn’t, regardless of whether you’re a Muse fan or not.

If Tim Burton was to make a new film, what would he make it about? A
boy who brings his beloved dead pet dog back to life, of course. If he
needed to ask someone to feature on the soundtrack, who would he ask?
Kimbra, Neon Trees, Robert Smith, The Flaming Lips and Karen O, among
others, of course. If Karen O was to write a song for the film, what
would she write? A sweet childlike love song, with a Theremin solo,
backing vocals of dog barking sounds and the sweetest lyrics “when
there’s beauty on the inside, the outside there’s nothing to change” of
course. Does it sound weird or tacky or immature or silly? No, it sounds
cute and catchy and perfectly matched to a Tim Burton film. How does
she do it? A bit of attitude, a lot of confidence and an incredible
skill for song writing. Easy. Easy if you’re Karen O, of course.

Jo Michelmore gives 'Strange Love' three Karen O's out of five...

NEW MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Trying Not To Love You

by Nickelback

Album: My research skills have their limits... (probably 2012?)

George Costanza, what are you doing to yourself? We already know that you're a filthy old perv, but I didn't need to see the (admittedly PG) crap you think when looking at Gennifer (with a G). I will say this though; I was so confused as to how your stock fell so low that I completely forgot there was a Nickeback song playing in the background. For that, I say thank you. For the video I say...

Matt Bond gives the 'Trying Not To Love You' video one Chad Kroeger Lavigne out of five...

"As he puts the key in the ignition, they're thinking about sex time. And we're gonna have a time (sex time), a time that's separate from all other time (sex time), and we're gonna have a time (sex time)... sex time (yeah)." Oh my... I have a new favourite song. Any guesses as to what it's called? Why, yes, it IS called 'Sex Time' and it's from The Stress of Leisure's new album, Cassowary. The song is ridiculous and fun, it made me laugh out loud (known as a 'literal lol') and the most important thing it did was make me want to find out a whole lot more about this Sunshine State band.

First up, I listened to Cassowary on The Stress of Leisure's soundcloud page, where you can hear it in its entirety until the end of August. Yeah, that's not far away, so go listen to it. Now! You'll find yourself bopping along to 'Hot Fire!' and all at once you'll laugh along to, shake your head at and fall in love with 'Sex Time.' My favourite track was 'Endangered Species.' Lead vocalist, Ian Powne's voice in the album's second last track is all kinds of awesome and I've found myself coming back to listen to it again and again the last couple of days.

Next, I needed to know when they're playing in Brisbane so I can go see them live. When are they playing? This Friday at The Beetle Bar! It's the Cassowary album launch and they're bringing two other local favourites, The Bell Divers and Primitive Motion along too. I'm excited about the $10 ticket price. Don't you judge me, I'm poor. What can you do now? Have a listen to The Stress of Leisure's fourth album Cassowary, cancel your plans for Friday night and join me at The Beetle Bar and read up on the band by following the links below. Enjoy!

Saturday, 25 August 2012

They're currently sitting pretty at #1 on our weekly Top 20 chart with 'Heart Says Yes (Head Says No)' and now Texas Tea's Benjamin Dougherty has been kind enough to answer some of our questions about touring, Brisbane's music scene, favourite vocalists and more. Let's get to it!

Q. For those unfamiliar with you, would you be so kind as to explain who Texas Tea is and how they came to be?

Benjamin: A country duo. Kate asked me to join her band. I said yes. Found out I was the only other member. We persisted and discovered a good song-writing partnership and mutual interest in odd things. That was 2005 or something I think. Most of our shows over the last 7 years have been just the two of us, me on guitar, kick drum and occasional vocal, Kate on hi-hat tambourine, guitar and vocals. The latest record has double bass and drums (Glen Russell and Myka Wallace) on it so we're adjusting to a new setup. We're finally in a band.

Benjamin: It’s a publicity stunt but it actually sounds great on tape. I’m not just saying that. Tapes bring back a lot of memories for me. My parents never really listened to music much so all I had was a tape player that I got when I was twelve or something. So it's from a time when I would just listen to tapes in my room for hours. Some have still survived - damaged from being played too much or warped from the sun after being left in a car somewhere. It's a more nostalgic medium for me than records even. But yeah I think I want to release more stuff on tape now.

Q. You've supported some insanely talented acts like Cold War Kids, Iron and Wine and The Gin Club. Who have been your favourite artists to tour with and if you could pick anyone in music today to support Texas Tea on a tour, who would it be and why?

Benjamin: It's best to tour with your friends. We've had some great times overseas with Orville Brody (France) and Pete Ross (Italy). Here at home we have done a couple of tours with The Gin Club. They have pretty good Tarago games and they're such a big band that you kind of join their gang for a few days.

Q. Texas Tea's third album "Sad Summer Hits" is set for an October release. Have you got some big tour plans for at home and abroad?

Benjamin: At this stage in October and November we’ll be visiting Hobart, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Gold Coast, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast as well as doing the launch in Brisbane at the Zoo on the 26th of October. Then next year we’ll be going to the Tamworth Country Music Festival and mostly likely back to Europe for a bit, probably France and the UK, maybe Netherlands, Germany and Norway too, not sure yet.

Q. You both have distinct voices that sound unique amongst many of the singers we hear every day. Who are your favourite vocalists, why do you love them and have they influenced your own voices?

Benjamin: Probably vocalists that taught me that you don’t actually need to be able to sing properly in a technical sense to be able to particpate in music – people like Jeffrey Lee Pierce or Johnny Rotten. Closer to the Texas tea genre I like people that do the talk/sing thing (what do you call that?) like Leonard Cohen, Don Walker, and Lightnin Hopkins come to mind. I don't really consider myself a singer, I just try and deliver the lines. I try and make sure you can understand the words so that's where the talking singers are probably an influence because a lot of the music we make is quite minimal.

Q. Where is your favourite venue to perform at and why?

Benjamin: The Troubadour / now Black Bear Lodge kind of feels like a bit of a home for this band. It's where we gained an audience really. The Troubadour was such a big supporter of local music, but particularly of odd folk and country stuff.

Q. What do you think is more important; incredible lyrics or a memorable tune?

Benjamin: Neither is more important than the other. Whatever works for the song. A song can still be awesome even if the lyrics don’t make sense or are total garbage. Likewise a song can be great if it has a good narrative, or ideas, even if not so much is going on musically - see 'Harry Was A Bad Bugger' by Don Walker for the latter.

Q. There's a lot of great music that's being released from Brisbane-based acts at the moment. What do you think about Brisbane's music scene and who are some other singers or bands that you're enjoying from Queensland's capital?

Benjamin: Brisbane has an excellent music scene in so many different genres. I’d take Brisbane over anywhere else in the world – it’s the perfect place for outsider / underdog whatever, y'know - insert genre here kind of thing. My favourite band in Brisbane is The Keep On Dancin’s. There are honestly too many others to name past and present that are great. We don't have to look far to find great music.

________________________________________________________________

A huge thank you to Benjamin for joining us for the evening. Find out more about Texas Tea at their website, get some sweet music from their Bandcamp page and get ready for new album, Sad Summer Hits!

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Over the
last couple of years my friends and I have developed a love of karaoke.
Yeah, you heard me. It all started very innocently grooving along to
late night karaoke programs on Foxtel and judging Sue’s* obscure country
song choices week after week, but before long we’d all caught the bug
and became semi-regulars at Queen's Karaoke. It doesn’t matter to us that
the venue is mostly geared towards K-Pop wannabes and that the toilet
has a sign that says, “Toilet may block lol!!” They have private rooms,
tambourines, and Seal – what more do you need?

C’mon, what’s
not to love about karaoke? Sure, there’s a lot of bad cringe-worthy
singing, and awkward silences, but that’s all part of the appeal! But
for Christ's sake people, follow the karaoke code.

Repeat after me…

1. I will not steal fellow karaoke-ers songs...

There’s nothing worse than a karaoke thief. No one likes that guy. Don’t be that guy.

On a European adventure a couple of years ago, my friend Alana and I
found ourselves at a pub in Frankfurt, Germany on karaoke night.
Jackpot! After a little liquor to calm the nerves Alana settled on 'I
Love Rock’n’Roll' as her song selection. “Good choice,” we agreed, “the
crowd will love it”. The night ticked on, and we started to become
doubtful that Alana was going to get her turn when we suddenly heard the
familiar song… “Yes! Yes, you’re up! Wait… What is the MC doing?”
Quicker than we could say, “put another dime in the duke box baby,” the MC
had morphed into Joan Jett and was giving it her all. Alana was robbed.

2. I will not take myself too seriously...

Fact; for
most of us mere mortals our singing should really only be confined to
the shower or the privacy of our vehicles. Own it! Embrace it! Your
testy blow-outs are what keep me coming back to karaoke. Yes, I am
laughing at you. And yes, I hope you’ll laugh at me too as I puff my way
through 'Baby Got Back' and dance inappropriately.

Let’s be honest people, it is not an audition for Australian Idol – no, I’m sorry; you are not going to Sydney.

Before being ‘robbed’ at karaoke in Frankfurt, Alana and I were
entertained by two German’s during their rendition of Nirvana’s 'Smells
Like Teens Spirit.' Not only did it sound hilarious with a German twang,
but they hyped the crowd up with a bit of leg guitar. Yes, leg guitar.
One guy held up his leg while the other rocked out.

3. I will keep the number of obscure songs to a minimum...

*Sue, bless her cotton socks, is a regular punter at the “Funda Down
Unda” karaoke event at the Royal English pub at Nundah. I love Sue; I
really do, because getting up in front of an open pub to belt out a tune
takes guts. But if Sue has taught me anything it’s that song selection
is vital (wait, maybe this is Australian Idol). Week after week she
serenades the crowd with obscure country selections. Queue crickets.

Right, have you got that? Are we clear? Now, enough of that. Let’s get
back to judgement. After all, that’s really what karaoke is all about…

Monday, 20 August 2012

Returning with her fourth LP is Australia's leading lady of the blues, Mia Dyson. It feels like the ARIA Award winning vocal wonder has been away for so long, as she's been touring and living in America since 2009, recording The Momentin California at the end of 2011. Her comeback is more than welcome as she not only delivers the greatest work of her career, but one of the best albums I've had the pleasure of hearing in 2012. Dyson is a lover, a fighter and she captures that classic Springsteen-Americana sound (with a distinct Mia Dyson twist) in all of it's brilliant glory, offering up personal accounts of heartbreak, perseverance and the open road.

Each track plants you firmly in her corner, the power and emotion in her voice melting away any resistance you could possibly put up. Don't bother fighting it, just listen and enjoy the journey with Mia Dyson. Now, about that voice? Phenomenal, right? Right. Bouncing from rock to country to pop, but always rich with soul and infused with a healthy dose of the blues, we can all agree that this is one of the greatest voices in music today. Listen to 'Dancing' and try to disagree. "You were dancing on the edge of the world, of the world, you were dancing." Feeling a little short of breath? I'm right there with you.

Opening with the one-two punch of 'When The Moment Comes' and 'Pistol' was smart. 'When The Moment Comes' is that jump up and down, sing-a-long, pump your fist in the air kind of anthem you'll find yourself playing over and over and over again. It's a relatively light-hearted affair when compared to what follows. "Use this pistol on my heart, take me out before it starts." Yeah, you're in for the best emotional roller-coaster of your life, starting with 'Pistol.' Every track stand on its own as an impressive piece of songwriting, performed masterfully by Dyson and her band. 'Tell Me' is guitar-driven blues at its finest, 'The Outskirts of Town' is the same... sans guitar prominence, replaced by the piano.

Saving the best for last, 'Two Roads' brings to a close a most satisfying collection of ups and downs; of honest moments between performer and listener. Albums that end with a stellar, memorable ballad are the best and 'Two Roads' is definitely stellar. And it is memorable. You could say that about every song on The Moment. Do yourselves a favour... go get this album.

Matt Bond gives The Moment five Nick Cave's out of five...

Feather (2011)

by Nick and Liesl

"I can see by the look in your eyes, you've been out here for a while, and I guess, I guess it must be true, I've been looking, looking for you too." Nick Everitt and Liesl Karlsson's debut album combines classy acoustic-folk music with exceptional songwriting and two hopelessly romantic and endearing new voices. Amongst the sweet, tender moments between our two leads are messages about growing up, chasing your dreams and learning from your mistakes.

Feather opens with 'Most Of My Life;' a perfect introduction to the music of Nick and Liesl. It's a breezy number, seemingly over way too soon despite its run-time (4:11), that prominently features Nick's voice and also showcases the brilliance of Nick and Liesl's vocal harmonies. You'll continually be impressed by the natural way their voices come together to create beautiful harmonies. As they come together to sing, "these days remind me of what makes me smile, jumping into the ocean releases my emotion," you'll find yourself instantly hooked. It's just one of many catchy lines (both lyrically and melodically) that will linger in your head long after the song has finished. The roles are reversed on 'Your Heart In My Hands' as Liesl takes the lead and Nick comfortably slides into the back-up role.

"You're mine (do you love me today, will you me tomorrow), you're mine (do you love me today, there must be some kind of way)." As their voices circle each other in those lines, it's easy to understand why Nick and Liesl's title track 'Feather' is widely recognised as one of the album's highlights. A simple piano melody precedes Liesl's introduction, her soulful voice commanding all attention in what becomes a surprisingly heartbreaking track. "I won't be afraid, I know it's real enough, I never ask for too much, I know that there's no such thing as true love." Any down mood is instantly perked up (in a sign of well planned track placement) by 'Silent Ships.' "Like silent ships go sailing out to sea, I'm at peace knowing you're in love with me." What a lovely song about love that's guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

There are three other tracks that I want to give special mention to. 'Leave This Town' is so very likely to charm those of you chasing a good laid-back tune to kick back and relax to. Think those summer nights out on the deck, having a couple of drinks with friends. That's when you want to hear 'Leave This Town.' Think those lazy Sundays in the park (most likely also having a couple of drinks with friends). That's when you want to hear 'Leave This Town.' Along with 'Silent Ships,' I'd call 'Leave This Town' my favourite Nick Everitt penned track. 'Witch's Brew' would be one of my two favourite Liesl Karlsson written numbers. Atmospherically 'Witch's Brew' creates a much darker tone than the tracks surrounding it, making it stand out that much more. What's the other Karlsson track I love the most? The album's closing song, 'Does It Matter.' Album's that end with a stellar, memorable ballad are the best. "To who does it matter if I should choose to yield, to yield to the doubts that plague my every single thought, to yield to the conflicts of my mind, to yield to the expectations I have of myself, to yield, to give up... it matters to me." An incredible end that will have you heading straight back to the start of Feather so you can enjoy it all over again.

It's been forever since we've thrown one out there and then BAM! Two fives in one week?! Best week for music ever!

NEW MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Crazy

by Ricki-Lee

See Ricki, if the lyrics are, “I wanna see you getting crazy,” then why aren’t you doing that? Why isn’t there some hard beats and some strange vocals and some incredible synthesisers or incredible anything and why does this song sound like every other average pop/dance song and why does the clip consist of an incredibly dull looking hospital set and incredibly bad costumes? Why is there a predictable bunch of your clones wandering around? It’s not interesting and it doesn’t suggest a storyline to the clip, it just looks cheap. You couldn’t afford any one else to appear? You could have taken a leaf out of Reece Mastin’s school of clips and given one of those Home And Away girls a cameo? Even that would have been more interesting. The writhing around tied to the floor? Hasn’t someone let you know that’s not sexy? It’s not interesting, it’s not original, it’s not cool, it’s not attractive and it’s not sexy, at all. It’s just weird and a little snooze-worthy. I guess it suits the song. Please Ricki, I’m not giving up on you, I just know you can do better, I know somewhere in there is a talented, interesting girl waiting to appear. I’m sure she’s fabulous; let her appear for your next single?!

Jo Michelmore gives the 'Crazy' video one Nikki Webster out of five...

Sunday, 19 August 2012

Soundwave 2013 has had a lot of mixed reactions. And admittedly I wasn’t
initially thrilled with the first announcement. Although, after digging
out a lot of my old CDs and taking them for a spin it didn’t take long
for the pangs of nostalgia to change my mind.

After securing my ticket in Friday’s member pre-sale, I was eager to hear the second announcement. And I wasn’t disappointed.

My personal favourites?

Mindless Self Indulgence

MSI have an eclectic sound. From punk rock, to techno to industrial –
they’re hard to pigeon hole. Their songs are quirky and upbeat. And the
front man goes by “Jimmy Urine”. I love them.

Billy Talent

These Canadian rockers toured the country recently with awesome reviews. Looking forward to checking them out!

It started with a guitar, a little waltz like beat and the words “…getting to know you was quite a battle, trying to lose you is another matter, love is a devil…and the devil wants more” and I knew I was hooked. There's something I just love about falling in love with a song, not knowing who it's by and conducting an intense search to find its owner, creator/s and performer/s. It's a sense of intense emotion, the feeling of needing to know immediately so the moment isn't lost and the love doesn't fade. Luckily, I didn't have to search far to find the owners of the delicious little song ‘Love Is A Devil’, and what I found was a cute little duo called Laneway.

Think a little bit country, a little bit indie pop, a little bit folksy; Paul Hannan and Louise O'Reilly have been making sweet music together since releasing their first album 'If You Don't Need It Let It Go' three years ago. That was a beautiful eclectic collection of acoustic guitars, drums and sweet gently swinging melodies but it was only a taste of what this duo had to offer. Their latest release, ‘Turn Your Love Up’ is ten songs of absolute loveliness, a journey of heartbreak and observations of love, life and a little fun thrown in as well. The track I first heard, ‘Love Is A Devil’ is just perfect, ‘Fading Away’ is a swinging indie pop gem and if you don’t feel the need to tap your toes at ‘Simple Life’ you may possibly need to check your heartbeat (still alive, yes?).

This isn’t the type of music or album that is going to grab you by the neck and force you to listen, love it for a while and then replace it next month. What this album does is much more sinister and fabulous than that. It will seep into your system slowly; a little gentle reminder of how amazing it is as each song unfolds. You’ll hear the heartbreaking lyrics every now and then; “If you’re feeling sorrow, please don’t catch my eye, instead let’s turn our heads and pass each other by….I’ll never see you again, but I saw right into you just then”, you’ll find yourself stopping and listening, getting lost in the moment, somewhere far away from wherever you are, you’ll feel uncomfortably comfortable and warm and then when it’s over you’ll put it on again and again until you know it back to front but can’t quite work out how. ‘Turn Your Love Up’ is beautiful, sweet, simple and such a pleasure to listen to.

Thankfully I’m not alone in my love for Laneway, as earlier this month they won the coveted Grant McLennan Fellowship which gives them the opportunity to travel to Berlin to write and record some more and let Europe experience some of their talent. Before they go, they’ll be embarking on a national tour through September and October. Until then, you need to support amazing independent artists and go to their website, buy their album or download a digital copy and visit their bandcamp, facebook, twitter, youtube; you know, all the usual pages so you can seem like a cool kid that liked them before the rest of the world does. I did. Go on, you know you want to.

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